


Young Lion

by stayingputwouldbeablunder



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, M/M, Pack Bonding, Pack Family, The Pack, can you tell I like pack fam yet, christmas in july
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-28
Updated: 2013-07-28
Packaged: 2017-12-21 14:08:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/901175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stayingputwouldbeablunder/pseuds/stayingputwouldbeablunder
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Derek thinks Christmas in July is the stupidest idea ever.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Young Lion

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Madeline_Katsuragi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madeline_Katsuragi/gifts).



> I got the idea for this with one week left in July. Woohoo, I can’t plan shit.
> 
> I change whether Stiles is older or younger than the rest of the pack every other fic and this one is no exception. For the sake of the story, he turns eighteen at the end of junior year.
> 
> For my beta, known as [sorcerous-kitty](http://sorcerous-kitty.tumblr.com) on tumblr, because reasons.
> 
> Unbeta'd so all errors are mine. I edited this thing while watching _Sharknado_ so I'm sure there are mistakes. I'll fix them tomorrow.

Derek thinks Christmas in July is the stupidest idea ever.

When Stiles and Scott had come to him last week, Derek should have known they were plotting. The teen with caramel eyes had bribed him with a milkshake from a diner one county west while his best friend pulled the ‘ _we’re both alphas of our pack, what will the betas think_ ’. Stiles dissolved into laughter, called Scott _dad_ and lost his composure, sagging against Derek’s shoulder.

He understands the idea behind it, celebrating a winter holiday in middle of a summer that lulls by with only lingering sunlight and sparse shifts in the humidity. Scott makes it clear it’s the celebratory _family_ thing to do. Derek doesn’t know when exactly the packs became one and the collective group of teenagers that came with them became his family. 

The real reason, Lydia tells him between talking to Cora about college while Erica tussles with Boyd and Isaac in the middle of the loft, is that they didn’t get to celebrate Christmas the year before. The Alphas were still baiting Derek and Scott into killing their packs, pitting them against each other, hurting the humans and their families as reparation for killing Ennis.

Christmas Day had been spent at Deaton’s trying every which way to get a wound in Isaac’s thigh to heal. Kali had ripped a chunk of muscle out with her teeth, _wolves_ teeth, shifted and bitten the beta up and down his legs while Scott had tried to pry her off. Derek had been in the midst of preventing Deucalion from crushing Erica’s spine; he had already sent her into one seizure and promised to send her into more. Boyd was incapacitated and Allison was standing protectively in front of him while Morrell spun a crowbar between her hands.

So Derek gets it, how this is the pack’s way of healing wounds still core deep. As one of their leaders, he is supposed to take all their wishes into consideration, keep them united. As the oldest one in the group since Peter is long dead, he thinks it’s ridiculous that he’s been forced into Christmas music, _It's A Wonderful Life_ , and bickering with Cora over what to get Jackson for their secret Santa gift exchange.

Currently, the former kanima is sitting next to Lydia on the couch while Isaac sits on her other side, both betas glaring at each other. The strawberry blond has been eating it up for the past few weeks since her ex returned from London, stable and anchored. Scott was apprehensive to let him into their pack but Danny vouched for him, as did Allison.

Derek doesn’t even know why Isaac looks like he’s ready to claw Jackson’s eyes out. He’s pretty sure Lydia shoved his beta into the kitchen earlier and kissed him until his legs gave out. Derek found him sitting on the floor as Scott laughed at him, saying something about how Lydia does that to people. Isaac knocked him off his feet and Stiles laughed from where he was perched on the counter.

Erica and Boyd have been decorating a decrepit looking fake tree for the past two hours, pausing every few minutes to rearrange what the other did and laugh over everyone’s horrible baby pictures. It was agreed that every pack member donate one photo. Derek was momentarily grateful that his went with the fire until Cora said their mother had kept the negatives of all _three_ of them in a safety deposit box located at some tiny bank in San Francisco.

Three Hale sibling photos are now hanging towards the top of the tree in shiny new frames. Most of the pack had burst into laughter upon seeing them. Isaac had confused the pictures of Laura and Cora, claiming they looked exactly alike. Stiles made fun of the way Derek’s ears were too big for him as a baby and Derek shoved a glitter covered snowflake ornament in his shirt.

Scott and Allison are in the kitchen, cooking dinner because they drew the short straws. There’s a platter of snacks on top of the metal table by the wall of windows, now covered in fake spray-on snow. Derek should probably be concerned they were able to find the stuff in the middle of the summer but he’s learned better than to underestimate his human packmates. Two weeks ago Scott swore pixie dust wasn’t a real thing and a day later Stiles brought a variety of earth toned powders to their weekly pack meeting, courtesy of Deaton, to show his best friend _how real_ they were. Boyd handed Erica a crumpled twenty and Allison laughed when her boyfriend shifted mid-sneeze.

Stiles and Danny are threading lights through the spiral staircase that leads to Isaac’s room. They’ve already wrapped the support beams and pipes hanging from the ceiling. Erica banned them from touching the tree, so Stiles has been walking around with a string of lights wrapped around his abdomen that Lydia cinched tight.

It’s not that Derek hasn’t adjusted to the pack invading his loft at this point. He got used to the place always being full of different scents months ago. Cora enjoys it, spends more time at his apartment over her own, likes to give Erica a run for who is the fiercest female beta when they spar in the open room. For being alone for so many years, he’s surprised she’s opened up as quickly as she did: she has no qualms in bickering with the humans and eagerly goes to lacrosse games to sit in the bleachers with her reluctant brother.

Both Hales are hiding on the balcony. Cora has been walking back and forth on the railing, none the least concerned there is a sixty foot drop on the other side. Derek is lounging in a chair he found at a thrift store. It has always had an undertone of coffee scent embedded into the fabric and is comfortable enough to fall asleep in with a good book.

The sun is still high in the sky when Scott pokes his head out to say the food will be ready soon. He asks Cora to set the table which is really just the coffee table, a side table, and large ottoman pushed together in front of the couch, newly acquired loveseat, and two plush occasional chairs. Isaac had offered to bring the papasan Erica had talked him into buying down from his room but Scott vetoed it before the beta could even finish his suggestion. Stiles quirked an eyebrow and Lydia smirked into her hair.

By the time the pack has devoured its way through a turkey, ham, and bowls upon bowls of vegetables and stuffing, Derek feels fuzzy and content. It’s odd to think the last time he celebrated Christmas was in the cold, over furnished apartment he and Laura had shared. They bought a pre-lighted tree and got take out from an Italian place around the block. His sister had given him a collection of old books she found at a hole in the wall bookstore and Derek gave her a blanket she stared at every time they walked past this one consignment shop as well as a new Keurig. Laura had kissed his cheek before going to bed that night, saying they should call the hospital in Beacon Hills the next day to wish Peter a Merry Christmas.

Now Cora is sitting on the arm of the loveseat, rubbing her stomach as Boyd pokes her in the leg for getting too close to his plate. Stiles is on his left, their thighs touching, leaning into him without realizing it, going on and on about how _Christmas Vacation_ will forever be the most epic of all Christmas films. Scott’s at the other end of the couch with Allison seated on his lap, arguing back that _Home Alone_ is the best. Erica pipes in that _All Dogs Go to Heaven: A Christmas Carol_ should be considered in the running. Jackson stops telling Danny what a real white Christmas in London was like to ball up his napkin and throw it at her face.

The room descends into madness.

Once they’ve cleaned up the mess on and around the makeshift dining table and all changed clothes - Erica had the brilliant idea to retaliate by throwing a chunk of cranberry sauce at the former kanima and Boyd joined in to defend her honor - Danny calls them all back to the couch and pops _Love Actually_ into the Blu-ray player Cora talked Derek into buying after he’d purchased a flat screen television. The pack gets comfortable, squirming in their seats and across the floor. Derek, like half of his betas, is in sweats and a Henley. Stiles is leaning against his shoulder, gangly legs pulled onto the couch, wearing the shirt Derek slept in the night before.

They’ve only been together for a few months now. Erica bugged Derek for weeks after they tied up every issue the Alphas had caused about why he hadn’t made a move. Scott took to complaining about the way Stiles smelled when the other alpha would look at him. On his eighteenth birthday, Derek kissed Stiles after he blew out his candles, like it was the most natural reaction when the teenager had looked up at him through long eyelashes, grin wide. Stiles went quiet as the pack dissolved into snickers before throwing his arms around the alpha’s neck and pulling him into a bruising kiss.

In the morning, they’ll cook breakfast and open their Secret Santa gifts. Lydia said that they may as well _pretend_ it’s actually December instead of July and celebrate over two days. Derek doesn’t care so long as the pack minds their manners from where everyone has passed out. The girls are all asleep in Isaac’s bed, a feat considering it’s only a queen. The beta and Scott are passed out on an air mattress Melissa bought Derek for no apparent reason. Boyd’s sprawled across the couch and Jackson across the loveseat. Danny’s on his own air mattress, hidden beneath a pile of blankets. Cora went home with the promise to be back at eight am sharp.

From behind the curtain Derek hung to separate his room from the rest of the loft, Stiles has been digging in his backpack for five minutes. When he finally finds what he’s looking for, he says ‘ _aha_ ’ before bouncing onto the mattress and crawling into Derek’s lap. The alpha rubs his face, already half asleep, and focuses on the blob Stiles has dangling above their heads. He lets his eyes bleed red to speed up the process, frowning when he recognizes the wad as a plastic bundle of mistletoe.

While real mistletoe is dangerous to the wolves and even to humans, Stiles shakes it above his head until Derek leans forward to kiss him. Somewhere between wrapping his arms around the teen’s waist and burying his face against his neck, Derek hears the false weapon hit the ground. Stiles hugs him in return, whispers ‘ _thank you, Derek_ ’, and curls against his side when they finally lay down to sleep.

_Maybe_ Derek can get used to the idea of Christmas in July.

**Author's Note:**

> This is the quickest I’ve written anything recently. Yay.
> 
> My friends and I tried to have a Christmas in July party once. We got halfway through _Christmas Vacation_ and the DVD froze so we gave up and went to get ice cream.
> 
> The title comes from the song _Young Lion_ by Vampire Weekend. No significance whatsoever, it’s just a short little song I like.
> 
> I _swear_ I am going to go work on my wip now but you can always come yell at me on [tumblr](http://stayingputwouldbeablunder.tumblr.com).
> 
> (Do I need to change the rating??)


End file.
